Planet-wide, our energy consumption is predicted to increase by more than 50 percent by 2050(1) . Under the looming threat of climate change and a pressing need for efficient solutions, energy models are shifting. And rapid advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) are making never-before-possible devices a reality in the energy arena.

One change-maker in this space, Schneider Electric, is driving a new world of energy with innovative projects such as EcoStruxure. This open, IoT-enabled system architecture has so far been used to connect over a billion devices to energy end-markets like building, data center, industry and grid.

The Paris-based global energy giant is revolutionizing the energy industry and the way we all consume and access power. To do so, Schneider Electric has to be innovative internally. With over 140,000 employees in 100-plus countries, the company requires technology tools that enable quick and secure collaboration across the entire organization.

When CIO Hervé Coureil came on board, employees were in the habit of using shadow technology — thousands of personal devices loaded with unsanctioned apps. He sought to remedy all of this with a Cloud Content Management solution with enterprise-level security.

“People were using consumer file-sharing and collaboration apps they found on their own. To bring that under control, we sought a tool with a consumer look and feel but enterprise chops.”

— Hervé Coureil, Chief Information Officer, Schneider Electric

Weaving together communication for internal and external stakeholders

When Coureil began his search for a cloud-based content management platform, he sought a solution that would give employees the same flexibility and usability as the consumer tools they were used to. That solution also needed to fit into Schneider Electric’s existing infrastructure easily.

Box fulfilled both of those needs with sharing capabilities that make it simple and secure for employees to share files with each other and outside stakeholders.

For instance, creating Requests for Proposals (RFPs) is typically a stressful time for project managers, who are under pressure to gather numbers from a variety of sources and unite them into one document. With Box, it's easier to communicate and share multiple file types with vendors outside the company. Sales teams can access presentations and marketing collateral during meetings with clients without having to download it ahead of time, and with detailed permission levels to ensure security and protection of data.

After a successful initial rollout to 4,200 Schneider Electric employees, Box has been so thoroughly folded into Schneider Electric's internal IT that it's now the host platform for the CEO's monthly webcast to employees around the globe.

"It's the user experience that's really made a difference. We make content available anywhere our users need it," Coureil says.

Centralized, secure data

Enthusiastic user adoption is one thing; quality data governance another. As a cloud-based solution, Box is platform-agnostic, making it easy to integrate with other enterprise applications. This made it easy for IT to implement Box quickly while retaining strict control over all company data.

Schneider Electric’s employees can share files securely with a simple link or custom URL. Content is password-protected with granular control over permission levels so IT has the ability to protect sensitive data. If an employee accidentally sends a file to the wrong person, he can "take back" that action. Using the auditing and tracking features inherent to Box, Schneider Electric’s IT team can view the activity of any user account or file. Data previously lost to unsanctioned shadow IT accounts is now centralized and governed by Schneider Electric.

"We can make the lives of our employees better and make them more efficient. We can empower their ability to be agile and experimental."

— Hervé Coureil, Chief Information Officer, Schneider Electric

Benefits in real numbers

Schneider Electric has been able to offload its on-premise file servers and cut overall storage costs by 30 percent. Schneider Electric has 67,000 users on Box, and that adoption number continues to increase. The company is currently working with Box to create a custom application to help the purchasing organization manage contracts.

And using Box Capture, workers in the field and warehouses are able to take snapshots of equipment that needs to be recycled, then upload those photos from their smartphones straight to the company’s marketplace. This is making the equipment recycling initiative vastly more effective.

With Box, Schneider Electric has made internal operations more efficient and collaboration easier to support its vision of a progressive energy future.